An Air of Perfection
by My Insolence
Summary: Lily Evans has always prided herself on being perfect.  Well, as perfect as a Muggleborn witch can be.  But why is it that every time something is almost perfect, James Potter has to go and ruin it?  LJ.
1. Of Muffins and Autumn Mornings

I know, I know, I have to keep working on The Bet and Just the Girl, but this idea hit me like lightning. As in BOOM!! Anyway, enjoy, and remember: **reviews are luffed!**

Disclaimer: I own nothing. As usual.

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Lily Evans let out a deep yawn and stretched, pushing her curly red hair out of her face. Warm autumn sunshine spilled into the Gryffindor 7th year girl's dorm, chasing away the shadows. Lily slipped out of bed and padded across the room to the bathroom, careful not to make a sound. She had faced the wrath of her dorm mates at being woken up early on a weekend more than once.

Lily emerged form the bathroom not long after, feeling refreshed and wide awake. She slipped on her weekend clothes (soft jeans and her favorite T-shirt), grabbed her book bag and crept down the girl's staircase. The Gryffindor common room was deserted, as was to be suspected at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Lily took a deep breath, filling herself with the familiar smells of wood, leather and sunlight before exiting the portrait hole (the Fat Lady was now used to Lily leaving the house so early, but still gave an indignant squawk at being woken up) walked through the vacant corridors and into the Great Hall. She reached the Gryffindor table, which was also empty (lazy gits, Lily thought to herself) and grabbed a muffin. She had just turned to go to the library when a voice rang out.

"'Morning, Evans."

James Potter's voice was cheerful as he strode between the house tables and seated himself opposite where Lily stood.

"What are you doing here, Potter?"

Lily was surprised at the razor edge her voice held, but nonetheless glared at James, who looked quite offended.

"What, isn't a bloke allowed to have his breakfast?"

"I know you, Potter. No one know whether you're alive or not until three in the afternoon on weekends."

"Any reason why you're keeping track of my sleeping patterns, Evans? I assure you, I wouldn't mind including you in them."

Merlin, how she hated that smug grin.

"Are you suggesting I sleep with you, Potter?" Lily asked coolly. "I thought that was the slut of the week's job."

"I do believe you're confusing me with that slimy git of a boyfriend of yours, Evans."

Lily's hand flew to her picket and before James could so much as blink, she had her wand pointed directly at his face.

"Are you calling me a whore, Potter?"

Lily's hand was shaking with anger.

"No, Evans. I'm calling that blonde tramp he was snogging at the Hog's Head last night a whore."

"I'm not stupid, Potter. I know better than to trust you on the matters of my relationship."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to contradict that statement, Evans, because only a honest-to-Merlin idiot would believe that Corner could take part in an actual relationship."

James flinched as a few sparks flew from the tip of Lily's wand, which was still centimeters away from James's nose. Lily could feel her cheeks reddening.

"Eric wouldn't cheat on me, Potter."

"How are you so sure?"

To her horror, Lily felt hot tears pickling in her eyes.

"Because I am!"

"Why would I lie to you about something like this, Evans?"

Something in James's voice startled Lily. Was that sympathy? However, she shook the thought from her head.

"Because you're a lying prick who only cares about himself!"

With that, Lily spun on her heel, stuffed her wand into her pocket and stormed out of the hall, trying to suppress the tears that were now flowing freely down her flushed cheeks.

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Loved it? Hated it? Let me know, because I seriously don't know if I'm going to keep working on this. I'll love you forever if you **_review!!!_**


	2. Of Snowglobes and Anger Management

I've decided to continue for the time being. The idea for this chappie hit me last night. It's based on my motto:

Drama's like a snowglobe, as soon as everything settles down, someone gets bored and shakes it back up.

Enjoy, and remember: **reviews are luffed!**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Lily sat beneath the great oak tree beside the lake; her legs crossed Indian-style in front of her. In her hands she clutched the muggle snowglobe Eric had gotten her during his trip to Scotland over the summer. Lily vigorously shook the globe and watched the sparkles swirl through the liquid inside, them float back to the bottom. Story of my life, she thought. Just when things start to settle down, someone gets bored and shakes them up again.

Lily couldn't get her argument with James out of her head. She refused to believe that Eric was cheating on her, but James's face had seemed so sincere…

She shook the thoughts from her head. Potter was simply toying with her mind, trying to get her to break up with Eric. It was obviously yet another of his seemingly endless plans to get her to go out with him. Potter was jealous of Eric, that was all. The stupid, arrogant, pig-headed-

"Good morning, Lily."

Lily whipped around, anger seizing her.

**"POTTER, IF YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALTZ UP TO ME AFTER WHAT YOU SAID THIS MORNING, YOU'VE-"**

Lily's anger slowly faded when she realized she was pointing her wand at the terrified face of Remus Lupin.

"Oh…Remus…I'm sorry, I just thought you were…"

Lily's voice trailed off, her cheeks burning.

Remus, always the gentleman, simply smiled.

"No worries, I'm just glad you noticed it was me before you jinxed me into nothing. I'm guessing you and James had a run-in this morning?"

Lily nodded sheepishly.

"About what, if you don't mind me asking?"

Lily's insides squirmed at the thought of relaying what Potter had said to Remus. She was about to tell him that she'd rather not talk about it, thanks, when a thought hit her. A brilliant beacon of hope.

_"Remus!"_ She shrieked, practically throwing herself at him. Remus looked slightly startled.

"Sorry," Lily said, taking a deep breath. "Just got a little excited there. Remus, I need you to tell me something in all honesty. Promise?"

Remus nodded, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Where was Potter last night?"

Remus looked surprised, then slightly nervous.

"Lily, I can't tell you that," he said, running a hand through his sandy hair.

Lily did what her friend Leila Phillipa would have done in her position. She put her head on Remus's shoulder, her eyes wide and misty.

"But you _promised,"_ she whispered dolefully, stroking Remus's hair.

Remus's cheeks reddened. He cleared his throat and tried to avoid her gaze. Lily could practically feel him giving in.

"Fine," he finally said.

Lily beamed and lifted her head form Remus's shoulder. She loved it when she got her way.

"But you can't tell anyone, Lily. Teachers included. Promise?"

Lily's face fell. She knew the urge to get Potter in trouble would be hard to resist, but this was her only chance.

"Fine," she sighed, shaking Remus's outstretched hand.

"All right," he said, taking a deep breath. "James and Sirius snuck out to the Hog's Head last night to get fire whiskey."

Lily stared at Remus. Se simply stared at him, her eyes blank.

"Lily?" Remus said nervously, waving his hand in front of her face. "Lily, are you all right?"

"_Damn_…" Lily whispered. She abruptly stood, picked up her book bag and her snowglobe, and started back towards the castle, leaving a very confused Remus behind.

Sirius. She had to find Sirius. Remus had said Sirius had gone with James last night. She charged through the portrait hole and up the boy's staircase, not bothering to open the 7th year boy's door. She simply kicked it open. Lily stormed across the clothes-strewn room to Sirius bed.

**"GET UP, BLACK!"**

Sirius Black let out a squeal and fell out of his bed, wrapped in his sheets like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

"Evans? What the-"

"I SAID GET UP!"

Sirius scrambled to his feet, whimpering slightly. Across the room, Peter Pettigrew let out a loud snore, then rolled over in his sleep. Lily noticed he was hugging a teddy bear.

"What's this about, Evans?"

Sirius ran a hand through his shaggy, dark hair, his stormy eyes clouded **(A/N: no pun intended (stormy eyes, clouded, hehe))** from sleep.

"You were with Potter last night, I presume?"

"What do you-"

"You and Potter were both at the Hog's Head last night, correct?"

Sirius paled visibly.

"Who told-"

**"JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION, BLACK!"**

Lily screeched, losing patience. Sirius backed away form her, eyes wide.

"All right, all right! Yes, I was."

"And did you see anyone at the Hog's Head?"

"Evans, I can't-"

Lily whipped her wand out, pointing it as Sirius's bare chest.

"Answer the question," she snarled.

"A couple of Slytherins, that Mundungus bloke that graduated two years ago, Corner-"

That was all Lily needed to hear. She stomped out of the boys' dorm, slammed the door shut and stomped across the common room to the girl's staircase. If she was ever going to get to the bottom of this, she was going to need back-up.

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Hehe, Lily kinda sounds like a spy or something in that last line. Anyway, did you like it? Any suggestions? **_ Reviews are treasured!_**


	3. Of Sunlight and Bludgers

Wow, I'm tired...this came to me as I was lying in bed and I couldn't go to bed before writing the chapter (8 1/2 pages hand-written), typing it on Word and putting it up. So, please, make me feel useful and review :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Random news: OMGOMG annoying fangirl moment: my friend Lauren and I are going to see Boys Like Girls live this month!!! AHHHDKSDJALSDJSAKLJ IM S EXCITED!! (screams and jumps around in yay me and Lauren dance)

(clears throat and brushes hair back into place)

ah, all righty then. on with the fic :)

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Leila Phillipa paced the Gryffindor 7th year girl's dorm, her long blonde hair swishing around her darkening face.

"And you checked with Sirius? He was there?"

"Definitely," Lily murmured.

"How do you know Black isn't lying?" Emmeline Vance asked, flicking her dark curls out of her face. Lily let out a very unfeminine snort.

"He practically pissed himself, Em. I doubt he was lying, he was too busy worrying what I would do to his precious face."

Leila stopped pacing and turned to Lily, her face brightening.

"Wait. Sirius said Eric was there, but did he say that he was with a girl?"

Lily's face brightened as well.

"No… No, he didn't!"

"He probably would've mentioned it if your boyfriend had been snogging some tramp, Lily. It's not exactly something you keep to yourself," Alice Thomas mused. At that, Lily's face fell once more.

"Well, I didn't exactly… What I mean to say is that I… Um…" Lily's cheeks flushed slightly.

"Did you charge out again, Lily?" Leila asked with a groan, falling backwards onto her unmade bed. Lily nodded sheepishly.

"What is it with you and dramatic exits, Lils?" Emmeline asked incredulously.

"I've got an idea. Why don't you just ask Eric what his side of the story is?" Alice asked, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger thoughtfully.

"Oh, that's real pleasant, Alice," Lily snapped. "Hey, Eric, were you, per chance, cheating on me with a blonde tramp at the Hog's Head last night? Just a notion." Lily cradled her head in her hands.

Leila glanced at the clock, then grabbed her broom and began tossing clothes into her bag.

"Sorry to interrupt this oh-so-pleasant conversation, but James wants the team at the pitch an hour before the Hufflepuff match today, and he'll throw a fit if I'm late again." With a final wave, Leila raced down the stairs, slamming the door shut behind her. Lily slapped a hand to her forehead and let out a moan.

"The Hufflepuff match! I promised Eric I'd be there!"

"Then you're going," Emmeline said firmly. Lily opened her mouth to argue, but Alice cut her off.

"Em's right, Lily. This is a delicate situation. You need to act as if nothing is out of the ordinary, which includes going to your boyfriend's Quidditch match. Think of it as you're going to support Lae."

Lily let out a sigh.

"Fine," she said, rising to her feet.

Emmeline and Alice started down the staircase. Lily began to follow them, but stopped to study the sunlight that was dancing through the panes of the dorm's windows. She couldn't help but notice that the golden rays didn't seem nearly as warm and cheerful as they had appeared this morning. In fact, they looked faded and dreary.

"Lily? You coming?" Alice's voice rang out from the common room.

Lily turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her.

An hour later, Lily found herself seated between Emmeline and Alice in the Gryffindor stands, the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor teams both zooming past in their warm-up laps. Lily couldn't suppress a shudder; she had never favored the idea of flying. It was too fast, too high, too dangerous. Lily's eyes flickered to the center of the pitch as Madame Hooch's whistle ran out, calling the teams to dismount. James and Amos Diggory shook hands in the center, then both teams mounted their brooms as the balls were released. Lily followed the golden Snitch with her gaze until it vanished, a small golden blur darting across the pitch.

A roar rang through the pitch as the Quaffle was tossed up and intercepted by James, who took off towards the Hufflepuff goal, nothing but a scarlet blur. Lily suppressed a squeal as a Bludger flew dangerously close to James's head, but he simply ducked, feigned left, and tossed the ball right to Lucas Bell, who tossed the Quaffle through the unguarded right hoop. Lily, Emmeline and Alice cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindor stands.

James soared down the pitch towards Sirius, who was flying in the opposite direction. As the two passed in mid-flight, Lily could have sworn she saw James whisper something into his best mate's ear. Was that a smile on Black's face? Lily watched, transfixed as Sirius chased after a Bludger that was making its way towards Leila and, with a loud THWACK, slammed it towards the unsuspecting Eric.

Eric let out a surprised yell as the Bludger hit him in the stomach, sending him flying off his broom and falling the 50 feet to the hard ground below. The Gryffindors cheered as he hit the ground with a loud THUD, but they were soon outmatched by the roar of the Hufflepuffs when Eric pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his broom, a fire burning in his eyes. Lily bit her lip, worried as to what her boyfriend would do to retrieve his hurt pride. However, a sharp whistle rang out through the pitch. Diggory had called a time out.

Lily watched disapprovingly as James clapped Sirius on the back, a broad grin stretching across his face. Leila flew in between the two and, after high-fiving Sirius, whispered something in James's ear. To Lily's horror, James turned and, finding Lily's form in the Gryffindor stands (damn her bright red hair), grinned broader still and waved cheerfully.

"Bloody prick," she mumbled to herself, glaring back at Potter.

The whistle sounded again and the Hufflepuff team took flight. Lily watched as Eric flew in circles above the pitch, squinting at the ground. Emmeline nudged her, and, when Lily turned around, pointed at the Gryffindor end of the field. Diggory was zooming towards the goal posts, the Quaffle clutched under his arm. He dodged a Bludger aimed at him by Sam Spinnet and tossed the Quaffle past the David Wood, the Gryffindor keeper, and through the hoop. Lily's eyes flickered to the scoreboard and she was shocked to see that the score was 20 Gryffindor, 50 Hufflepuff. Had she really missed that much of the game?

Lily's thought were interrupted by a deafening roar. She snapped her head around to see a scarlet blur flying down the pitch, golden hair flying out behind it. Leila had spotted the Snitch. In a flash, Eric was right behind her, gaining every second. The two were neck-and-neck, both straining to reach the golden ball that was avoiding their grasp.

It happened in a split second. The Snitch suddenly turned, throwing Eric off balance as he tried to follow it. He toppled off of his broom and hit the solid ground for the second time that day. At the same moment, an unseen Bludger sent by Jacob Abbot smashed into Leila, unseating her as well. The pitch fell silent as both Seekers lay on the hard, solid ground, unmoving. Then slowly, weakly, Leila raised her arm. In her hand was clasped the struggling golden Snitch.

Emmeline, Alice and Lily all screamed with the rest of the Gryffindors as the rest of the team landed beside Leila, yelling and screaming as well. Sirius helped Leila to her feet and put an arm around her waist to balance her, grinning like an idiot. Lily cheered along with her friends, jumping up and down.

Over to the side, Eric still laid on the ground, glaring daggers at the Gryffindor team. Eric eased himself to his feet and ambled over to his team, unaware of the emerald eyes that followed his every move.

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I know it was random, but I don't think I've written a Quidditch fic before (maybe in Under Construction, I think), and if I have, it was awhile ago. I know it was random and all, but it will all tie together in the end, I promise! **Remember, reviews are forever appreciated!**


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